Anthony Albanese says progressives need to stop wringing their hands about the age of disruption in politics but instead celebrate their achievements, and avoid deploying short-term negativity as a strategy for getting into government.
The Labor frontbencher has used the annual Earle Page lecture at the University of New England to repeat his post-budget commentary about the importance of progressive parties having a positive agenda and offering voters hope, not fear.
He says expressions of dissatisfaction with the prevailing political and economic order, like the Brexit vote in the UK, had prompted some politicians and commentators to be negative about the future but Albanese argues this reflex is “wrong and self-defeating”.
He says the political climate demands progressive parties “inspire the next generation” by understanding the past, celebrating the gains of the present and anticipating and creating the future.
“Social change doesn’t just happen, it is made to happen,” Albanese said on Tuesday night. “I believe that an analysis which is optimistic about future prospects is a precondition for inspiring that positive change.”
Albanese used the speech to decry the rise of negative politics in Australia, the instability prompted by leadership changes and the frenetic pace of the 24/7 media cycle.
He said those unstable conditions were fertile territory for oppositions, who could exploit short-term negativity to damage their political opponents, but he said “a plan to get into government does not equate to a plan to govern, as we saw with Tony Abbott”.
Given similar arguments mounted by Albanese after the budget were widely interpreted as implied criticism of the Labor leader, Bill Shorten, the frontbencher has taken care in his speech to ensure he cannot be accused of disloyalty or provocation.
Albanese says Shorten “deserves credit” for ensuring Labor has a solid policy offering for voters, rather than just relying on tactical politics. He says Labor during this period of opposition has been “determined not to repeat [Abbott’s] mistake”.
But he says the mood in the community is clear – people are exhausted by the constant environment of negativity, which is why Malcolm Turnbull’s return to the Liberal party leadership was greeted positively by voters.
Albanese says voters warmed to Turnbull’s statement that he would treat Australians like adults “and move to less divisive leadership” but he says the prime minister has been damaged by internal compromises.
“Both major parties clearly have a vested interest in renewing faith in mainstream politics,” the Labor frontbencher says.
He says progressive political parties needed to understand that they have achieved important practical reforms against “the forces of reaction” – and many of those reforms, that had been seen as “radical at first”, were now “cemented as part of the Australian ethos”.
Albanese says the negative reaction to Abbott’s first budget as prime minister underscored the fact that voters wanted to preserve the gains of the past.
He said the government adopting Labor principles, like needs-based school funding, the National Disability Insurance Scheme, universal healthcare and infrastructure spending “should be a source of pride for those who have been long-term advocates for those positions”.
“The rhetorical acceptance of those previously contest positions, such as needs-based funding, should facilitate a focus on how to achieve those objectives,” Albanese says. “Moving on from old arguments should also permit greater consideration of the long-term challenges which face Australia.”
